Obituary of Dawn Eileen Ericksen

Dawn Eileen Ericksen May 12, 1954 – November 28, 2015 Dawn E. Ericksen passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of November 28, 2015 at Sholom Home East in St. Paul, MN. Born as the sun was rising on May 12, 1954 in Sioux Falls, SD, her parents Dr. Dean M. and Phyllis E. Ericksen named her Dawn. She was the middle child and with her four siblings, Gayle, Kyle, Lee and Jon, grew up in St. Croix Falls, WI. Dawn was a brilliant student and graduated with honors from St Croix Falls High School in 1972. She attended Drake University in Des Moines, IA. Dawn lived in Minneapolis after leaving school but moved to Los Angeles in 1976. Dawn’s love of the beach and California lifestyle kept her there for 25 years. She owned a lovely home in the Los Angeles suburb of Westchester, drove a vintage Ford Thunderbird and was an enthusiast LA Kings fan. In the mid 1980’s she worked for Telex in the early days of industrial computer repair, and in the 1990’s her most notable and fulfilling career was as Production Manager for Baby Guess textiles. Even years later Dawn would see you wearing an article of clothing she hadn’t seen you in before and would identify the fabric content and how it was made. Dawn returned to Minnesota in 2001 to be near family. Although her health had been failing her for many years, Dawn’s mind and memory remained clever and sharp, and she remembered dates and details like no one else. She was always the go-to person when the rest of her family needed clarification on their own failing recollections. She had a keen interest in classic movies, and could recite obscure actors, scenes and details about a wide range of movies from the 1930’s to the 1990’s and everything in-between. She loved Blues music and the Beatles, especially John Lennon. She adored the dogs and cats she cared for over the years, and leaves behind her beloved cat Tuffy. Dawn was preceded in death by her grandparents and parents, and leaves to mourn her, her sisters Gayle, Kyle and Lee (Paul Chapin), her brother Jon (Ivy), her nieces Elizabeth, Annie and Madeline, and her nephew Dean. Dawn was cremated, and her remains will be scattered by her family according to her wishes. The family wishes to thank the staff at Keystone Senior Living at Highland Park for their many years of providing care and support for her, and also many thanks to the nurses, aides and volunteers of Sholom Home East and the staff of the Health Partners Hospice & Palliative Care group for their kind and caring regard for Dawn when she needed it the most.